CH ss - 9

[Alfine: The Sword Master Fall ②]

The next time I woke up, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling.

Beds, clothes I wear and furniture are completely unrecognizable to me.

“How are you, Alfine-dono?”

When I was looking around to find out where this was, I heard an familiar irritating voice from behind.

The owner of the voice was Gile, and behind him were two knights in ominous full body armor, Vigo, and the maids.

Remembering the things that happened at the mansion, I immediately put myself on guard.

“Where is this?”

“Really, don’t put such a scary face. This is my secondary residence. You can use it however you like.”

I understood that while I was unconscious, I was brought from my mansion to Gile’s second residence.

I was changed into clothes different from the nightwear I was wearing in my room. Assuming the worst has been done to me while I was unconscious, my body went stiff naturally.

“Coward! While I was unconscious…”

“Please don’t misunderstand. I just saved Alfine-dono, who was suddenly trying to harm herself. That’s also why I brought you here. Moreover, I’m not a vulgar man who would put his hand on an unconscious woman. I prefer to be asked in a properly conscious situation. I wouldn’t use such a roundabout means, this time was so either.”

Gile look my way with a face that as though to say it was regretful.

Judging from his words, he seems to prefer the women themselves to succumb with their own words.

Meaning, he is the worst scum of a man.

Thanks to that, I was able to understand why I was brought into this secondary residence, but I can’t be sure.

“What is your purpose?”

“I think Alfine-dono has guess most of it though?”

Gile, who had returned to his usual smirking face, played dumb.

Perhaps he’s not intending to say it himself, huh…

“My judgment is bad, you see. I can’t understand unless you say it properly. Because…I’m an idiot.”

“Fumu, take your time here until you understand. I’ve ordered the maids to take care of you.”

It means that I won’t be able to go outside until I succumb to Gile, huh…

Even though there’s no meaning for me to live in a world without Finn, he sure did something really troublesome.

At that time, it’s better for him to let me suicide though…

“I’ve conveyed to the King that you have already brought to my secondary residence to get medical treatment. Since I’m a patient man, I don’t mind how long I have to wait. That should be the best memorial service to Finn-dono, who died in the northern land, from me.”

Gile said, leaving, leaving behind only the maids.

It’s already been three days since my house arrest life started.

Gile only comes to greets me in the morning and doesn’t show up after that.

The maid manages things related to daily life in detail, even when I was dressing, they put on the clothes for me, when it was mealtime, they fed me, it was a living corpse-like daily life.

Right now, I’m looking for something sharp. I want to meet Finn soon and apologize. I can only think of that. I wandered around in the secondary residence, slipping through the eyes of the maids.

Meanwhile, a voice leaked from the room I was about to pass by.

‘Anyway, it seems that your plan was a big hit, Vigo. Alfine, that Sword Master, has become a mere frail woman.’

‘That being the case, to think that Alfine-sama is such a simple sword-devoted person to that degree… But, don’t let your guard down…there is still the possibility that she will suicide.’

‘I know. That’s why I have the maids stay by her side all the time. It seems that she has grown quieter in these three days.’

Apparently the one who sold me, Vigo, and Gile are having a conversation inside.

Even so, Vigo’s plan… I wonder what is it…

Did that mean that he didn’t just sell information about Finn to Gile?

I was intrigued by the talks that I overheard, so I put my ear on the door and concentrated on the conversation inside.

‘In search of the disappeared Finn, I got the information of the man with Finn’s adventurer’s badge from the Adventurer’s Guild of Algren, so this plan came to me. I didn’t think it would be that effective.’

‘Finn’s disappearance was really convenient. Disguising a body as Finn by dying its hair black and tattooing its neck, then sink it, bribe the guild staffs and the man who got the badge to match the story, and when she found out that he was dead, she easily believed it, then got into the palm of my hand. Then all I have to do is wait patiently for her to break, and the Sword Goddess would serve me obediently without much effort. Well done, Vigo.’

‘Gile-sama, please lower your voice. Alfine-sama hasn’t completely fallen yet. And please know that I would only accept your request this one time. We are helping you for your father, the Prime Minister, to complete our great mission.’

‘I know. That woman is the most beautiful woman in the country. If only it wasn’t so that I can get her, I won’t bother you guys.’

I was overwhelmed by the content of the conversation between the two.

Everything was plotted.

I don’t know where Vigo’s plan came from, but is seems that taking advantage of Finn’s disappearance, they made a fake body and fake his death.

The body I met in Algren was not Finn.

Putting together the talks of the two, it seems that Finn is still alive and still disappearing.

Myself who was fooled by a fake body is too laughable, and a dry laughter leaked out.

“Idiot, idiot…I’m a big idiot. A big idiot who easily convinced that Finn is dead.”

Listening to the conversation between the two people, the thing that surge up within me is anger towards myself who was too stupid.

I was angry at my own foolishness that just accept the conclusion that he was dead without opposition.

However, at the same time, joy exploded when I knew that Finn still existed in this world, and my heart was pounding so hard to an incomprehensible degree.

Calm, stay calm…me.

If I acted according to my heart, I would remain stupid as before.

Without making impulsive decisions as before, I tried to grasp the situation while controlling myself as much as I could.

Let’s slowly think about the current situation…

Finn is alive…I’m happy.

Gile is trying to make me his…don’t joke around.

Vigo was working as a Gile’s pawn…Maybe he has the information about Finn.

As a result of my thoughts, I decided that it is the highest priority to spit out the information about Finn from Gile and Vigo now.

I immediately kicked the door and thrust up my finger to the two people inside.

The eyes of the two turned towards me who suddenly barge in.

“Can you explain the talks just now in detail!!”

“W-wait! Alfine-dono. What talks are you talking about?”

When I got close to Gile who stood up in panic quickly, I pulled out his sword, pinning his hand behind his back, and pressed the sword against his neck.

“Spit out everything you know about Finn’s case. Vigo, you too!”

I press the blade of the sword against Gile’s neck.

His skin started to cut open and blood began to ooze out.

“Hii! Alfine-dono, are you insane!? I’m the commander of the Royal Guard Knight!! If this matter is known to the King, not only the title of Sword Master, but even the status as a noble――”

“I’m no longer interested in such status. Now, spit out Finn’s information. Vigo, your original master will die at this rate, you know?”

While pressing the sword against the screaming Gile, I threaten Vigo who seems to have the most information.

Due to the crisis of his original master, Gile, Vigo’s face turned pale.

“I-I understand. Alfine-dono, please halt your sword. I will tell you everything I know about Finn-dono’s case…”

“The information comes first. Quickly!”

“Vigo! Please, help! I don’t want to die yet!”

A puddle was formed at the feet of Gile, who was afraid of death.

Apparently, he seems to have peed involuntarily because of fear.

I thought he was weak, but I didn’t think he was such a cowardly man.

When such a man served the king as the captain of the Royal Guard Knight, the future of this country became uncertain.

“I understand. Finn-dono should be still alive. I’ve said before that the last information about him was that he was seen heading to the stagecoach station bound for the frontier city, Youg Hannotes, but the man who had Finn-dono’s adventurer’s badge said that he came from the frontier city, Youg Hannotes, to impersonate himself.”

“Are you saying that he did go to Youg Hannotes after all?”

“Maybe, it is so. But it’s true that I can’t get any trace of him from Youg Hannotes at all. Finn-dono’s trace has disappeared there. This is all the information I have on Finn-dono.”

“Are you really not hiding anything anymore?”

“Yes, I think it’s likely that he’s still alive, but he’s still missing.”

Looking at the Vigo’s appearance, there seems to be no more information huh…

So, it means that Finn headed to the frontier city, Youg Hannotes, and he threw his own adventurer badge there.

Afterwards, there’s no choice but to go and examine his tracks there, huh…

“A-Alfine-dono. With this, you’re satisfied, right? Release me.”

“I’ll have you to be my hostage until I escape from the Royal Capital. Now, Vigo. Prepare a carriage.”

“Alfine-sama, I’m sorry, but that’s impossible. Gile-sama――”

The moment Vigo made a gesture of pushing something down with both hands――

When Gile sank down like his waist had gone, and escaped from the blade of the sword, there was a loud cracking sounds coming from the window behind.

“Protect Gile-sama!! It’s fine even if you kill that woman!!”

In response to the voice of Vigo, who had changed his attitude, I felt a raging killing intent from behind.

In response to the killing intent, I turn around.

When I looked, the owners of the raging killing intent were the two knights wearing that ominous full body armor.

The two knights approached me at a tremendous speed while drawing their sword at a raging speed, and launched an eye-opening slash.

“Fast!”

I was late in responding to the speed of incoming slashes, and my nightwear was torn a bit.

Royal Guard Knight? No, since they didn’t wear armor of the Royal Guard’s, they’re not, huh?

However, I’ve never seen such a skillful knight in the Royal Capital though…I wonder if my skill fell.

“Get rid of her quickly!”

The one who protected Gile, Vigo, spur on the knights again.

In response to his voice, the knight who was already in a sword stance slash as if to stop my life.

The slash is fast and heavy, really, I wonder where are the knights with such a great skill came from…

Ku, at this rate, I would really be done in.

Repelling the knight’s slash, correcting my sword stance, I take the thrusting stance that has save me from danger many times.

Then, finding a gap between opponent’s movements, I launch the sure-kill thrust, piercing the joint of the knight’s armor.

This should stop his movement!

However, the sword broke when the sure-kill thrust pierced the knight’s armor.

Impossible! Why the inside is harder than the armor!

I was distracted by the broken sword and the ominous knight grabbed my neck.

Guu! Painful! This kind of superhuman strength…as if he’s not human!

With the tip of the broken sword, I stabbed the knight’s hand that tightened my neck, and green blood leaked out from the gap in the armor.

Green blood? He’s not a human!?

Maybe the knight felt pain, he threw me at the wall.

The wall made of wood broke tremendously, causing severe pain to my back.

This is…maybe the me now can’t win…

No matter how I look at it, it seems that the opponent is not a normal person…Rather than that, it is better to run away now and look for Finn.

By penetrating the wall and thrown into the courtyard, I saw the opportunity to escape, so I decided to stop the fight with the ominous knight and escape from Gile’s secondary residence.

I’m glad that she is not the usual damsel in distress

But those knights are totally suspicious…